Currently two crutch designs have met with commercial success: the underarm crutch and the forearm crutch. The underarm crutch is more stable than the forearm crutch but does not allow elbow flexion. The crutch extends above the elbow to a padded underarm rest. When the user grips the hand rest near the middle of the crutch and flexes his elbow, the underarm rest seats underneath his arm, impeding full elbow flexion. This makes going up and down hills and steps very difficult. On the other hand, the forearm crutch allows flexion at the elbow but is less stable than the underarm crutch, increasing the metabolic energy requirements of locomotion. Since the crutch does not extend above the elbow, the user cannot stabilize the crutch against his body as well as with the underarm crutch. In addition to these deficiencies, neither crutch design employs springs to maximize locomotion efficiency for all types of terrain. These problems are overcome by the present invention.